What is the deadline for absentee or mail-in ballots to be received in order to be counted?
In New Mexico, ballots must be received by 7pm on election day.
How do election officers ensure voter registration lists are up to date so that people who are not authorized to vote are not voting?
New Mexico collaborates with other states via membership in the Electronic Registration Information Center that provides access to national databases to ensure up-to-date voter registration rolls.
What kind of software/hardware is being used to count ballots? Will they be hand counted as well?
A list of currently certified voting systems used in New Mexico can be found here. New Mexico conducts a risk-limiting audit following every statewide election This process involves randomly selecting a few races and precincts throughout the state and hand counting the results in those precincts. The hand counted results are then compared to the normal machine counted results. Any discrepancies between the results are thoroughly investigated.
What security measures are in place to protect the secrecy of the ballot and prevent under/over counting?
New Mexico uses paper ballots. The systems that tabulate votes are not connected to the internet and are tested prior to every election. Following an election, results are canvassed or audited so that accuracy is ensured.
When will the results become official? How long does it take?
The results displayed on election night are UNOFFICIAL. It would be impossible for New Mexico to count one hundred percent of the votes and meet its stringent auditing obligations in a single day. Results are not official until they are certified – see below. After an election, results are canvassed to ensure accuracy at the county and then the state level. Finally results are audited by an independent contractor before they are forwarded to the New Mexico State Canvassing Board to be made official.
How do election officials certify the election results? What happens if they don’t certify the election results?
County canvassing boards meet to approve the report of the canvass for local elections no sooner than six days and no later than 10 days after the election. In a county with more than 150,000 voters, the results of local elections must be approved no sooner than six days and no later than 13 days. For state elections, certificates must be issues by the 31st day after the election. There are legal processes in place to ensure that the votes are certified. After the 2022 midterms, the three-member county commission in Otero County unanimously voted against certifying the results of the June 7 primary election, citing unfounded claims about voting machines yet failing to identify any specific evidence. New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver (D) quickly asked the courts to step in. Soon after, the New Mexico Supreme Court ordered the commission to comply with its statutory duty and certify the election results.
How do election officials ensure that an absentee or mail ballot has come from a legitimate voter and has not been tampered with?
Absentee voters must provide the last four digits of their Social Security number and their signature on the envelope that attests to their identity. If an absentee ballot were to be received by the county that appeared to be damaged/tampered with, the county would call the voter about it and that voter could avail themselves of the curing process to ensure their ballot is counted.
